Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

Ground Level®: Amplifying Community Voices

Your story is powerful. The stories you share with others honor the complexity of our communities while forging a more equitable and vibrant future.

Call 651-228-4800 and leave us a voice memo. If you're more comfortable texting, you can text “Hello” to 1-833-870-4111. You can also email us at tell@mpr.org and join in on conversations in our Ground Level Facebook group.

We’d like to hear your thoughts and questions. Your ideas about solutions. How are your communities? What are you seeing today? And what do you want to see tomorrow?

Note that while we will exercise editorial judgment for language, length and avoiding personal attacks, we will not sacrifice your meaning. We will ensure your main message comes through on air and online.

Forced to Choose: Our reporters’ takeaway

At the end of a three-month series called Forced to Choose, MPR News reporters reflect on what they found most intriguing about decisions Minnesota communities are making about their futures.
by Dave Peters

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Necessity, the mother of government reinvention

Perhaps the best places to look for local government reinvention are those forced to change by demographics and economics, writes reporter Jennifer Vogel.
by Dave Peters

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Surprised by depth of agonizing

Budget pressures are forcing Minnesota cities to examine how to spend less on public safety. Reporter Curtis Gilbert writes about how much agonizing local officials do when confronted by that necessity.
by Dave Peters

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

For some, it’s a question of survival

Economic, demographic and political change have pushed some small Minnesota towns to the brink of disaster, local leaders worry. Reporter Tom Robertson writes about the challenge posed by shrinking state aid.
by Dave Peters

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

What Nowthen might not get if it doesn’t pay sheriff

Anoka County Sheriff James Stuart has sent the city of Nowthen a list of law enforcement services he won’t supply if the city council doesn’t agree to pay the county.
by Curtis Gilbert

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Minnesota households with ‘real’ broadband access: 57 percent

A new Connect Minnesota report says that 57 percent of Minnesota households have access to broadband speeds that the state wants to achieve for everybody by 2015.
by Dave Peters

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Central Minnesota chooses a future

Central Minnesota chooses a future

About 200 central Minnesota residents are in the midst of a two-year effort sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to plan a vision of what central Minnesota should look like by 2035.
by Dave Peters

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Deciding how much policing you want to pay for

Minnesota communities are increasingly weighing policing costs against taxes and trying to find ways to save money even when it comes to law enforcement.
by Dave Peters

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!